Twelve organizations that applied for grants for tornado-related programs or services from the Joplin Tornado First Response Fund will be asked to make presentations with further details of their proposals.
The fund’s board agreed by consensus Thursday morning to give further consideration to six other requests without requiring presentations.
Those advanced without presentations are the Area Agency on Aging, $40,000; the Independent Living Center, $8,000; Freeman Health System, $11,138; Legal Aid, $30,570; Economic Security Corp. for Head Start, $8,500; and Big Brothers Big Sisters, $6,285. One other request was ruled out.
The six requests that were advanced amount to $104,493 if they are funded in full. The board this round will give out $350,000 of the fund’s $808,000 balance. Board members discussed having another round of distributions later this summer or in the fall.
The Area Agency on Aging’s request is to fund the purchase of a new delivery truck for its Meals on Wheels program. According to the application, the agency’s delivery truck was destroyed in the 2011 tornado.
Fund trustees asked whether the agency had insurance on any of the loss. Board chairman Phil Stinnett contacted agency director Stan Heater, who said the agency had only liability insurance on the truck because it was old. Board members discussed the need to make meal deliveries to residents who would have to go to nursing homes without the program.
The Independent Living Center applied for $8,000 that it said would be used to buy alerting devices and provide emergency preparedness education to people with disabilities. A separate request for $6,000 to restock emergency food and cleaning supplies was turned down by the board, citing its agreement that the fund’s money would not be allocated for buying food and supplies that should be available from other sources.
An application by Freeman Health System for $11,128 was advanced. Funding was sought to buy two portable light towers that could be used for medical procedures and treatment in emergency or disaster situations.
Legal Aid of Western Missouri asked for money to continue providing legal services next year to low-income residents who could not afford an attorney to represent them on tornado-related issues. Two staff attorneys would be retained with the funding, which would cover services for about 150 of the agency’s 234 tornado cases, according to the board’s discussion.
The money for Head Start would be used to replace playground equipment that was destroyed by the storm.
The funding for Big Brothers Big Sisters would pay for services for about 16 children who were affected by the tornado.
Other agencies are to be notified that the board will hear presentations at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, June 28, at City Hall, 602 S. Main St. That is because board members want more information or have questions about details of the proposals.
Opportunities for those presentations will be offered to:
Catholic Charities, on an application for $50,000; Salvation Army, $159,162; St. Bernard Project/Rebuild Joplin, $210,000; Arc of the Ozarks, $50,000; Joplin Family Y, $36,509; city of Joplin, $250,000; Joplin Family Worship Center, $240,064; Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity, $60,000; Joplin Long-Term Recovery Committee, $100,000; American Red Cross, $77,000; Jasper County Sheltered Facilities Association/Community Support Services, $65,850; and Ozark Center, $94,000.
Application total
A TOTAL OF 35 grant applications were received, and 16 of those were ruled ineligible at a meeting earlier this month.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Joplin Tornado First Response Fund seeks presentations on 12 requests
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
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Rebecca Williams
Two years after the tornado, Rebecca Williams remains committed to helping people around the world keep up with the progress that has been made in Joplin.
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Community Outreach Team
While it didn’t yet have a formal name, the seeds of Freeman Health System’s Community Outreach Team were planted in the hours following the tornado.
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Jewish Disaster Response Corps
“Tikkun olam” is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” and the concept — of service to others, of helping those in need — is prevalent in Judaism.
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Dorothy Maples
Dorothy Maples always felt a calling to volunteer, whether it was participating in a fundraiser or giving a hand to help someone in need.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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